Red sanders smugglers ram forest patrol vehicle during high-speed chase, four injured

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An SUV carrying red sanders logs lies damaged after ramming a forest patrol vehicle near Rompicherla in Annamayya district on Sunday. | Photo Credit: ARRANGEMENT

A high-speed chase between forest officials and red sanders smuggling operatives turned violent on the Rompicherla-Pulicharla road at the Chittoor-Annamayya district border in the early hours of Sunday, after the smugglers allegedly rammed their vehicle into a forest patrol vehicle while attempting to break through a blockade.

Acting on information about the movement of a gang carrying red sanders logs, forest officials of the Piler forest range stepped up surveillance and intercepted the vehicle. The officials parked their vehicle across the road to prevent the suspected smugglers from escaping.

However, the operatives allegedly accelerated towards the patrol vehicle and rammed it in an attempt to flee. Two forest beat officers and two suspected smugglers sustained serious injuries in the collision.

The injured forest officials were identified as Prakash and Charan Pratap of the Piler forest range in Annamayya district. The two suspected smugglers also suffered serious injuries.

All four were shifted to the SVRR Government Hospital in Tirupati for treatment. A case has been registered and further investigation is under way.

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